Title: Agent Orange
Directed by: Noam Pitlik
Written by: Tony Sheehan
Air Date: December 11, 1980
Previous: Dorsey
Next: Call Girl
Guest Starring: Paul Lieber, Doris Roberts, Lyman Ward, Joe Regalbuto, Peter Hobbs, Louis Giambalvo
"Agent Orange" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of Barney Miller.
A Gerald Serrano is brought in by Wojo for armed robbery. Serrano, a Vietnam veteran, insists that it isn't his fault, that his time in the war left him craving action, so he became a criminal. Serrano served in the Air Force, and he cites his exposure to the notorious chemical defoliant Agent Orange
as a contributing factor.
This touches a nerve with Wojciehowicz, a former Marine and Vietnam vet. Instead of just booking Serrano for armed robbery like a more rational man might, Wojo calls in a representative from the VA, a Dow Chemical executive, and an Air Force captain. When a shocked Barney wonders why he didn't bring in Richard Nixon, Wojo says "he wasn't home."
The second wacky case involves the third appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Brauer (Peter Hobbs and Doris Roberts), and once again he's pissing her off with his weird hobbies. After liquidating their bank account to put all their money in gold ("The Sighting"), and signing up to be a mercenary ("Wojo's Girl"), this time, he's become a nudist. In fairness, it wasn't his idea alone: the apartment building they live in was bought by a man named Fulton, a nudist who turned the whole building clothing-optional.
Tropes:
- Don't Explain the Joke: Mr. Brauer thinks the "Grin and Bare It" slogan of his apartment building is the greatest thing ever.Mr. Brauer: See? See how they spelled it B-A-R-E?
- Hot-Blooded: Every so often, Wojo would go off half-cocked and do something crazy that caused headaches for Barney. In this episode, instead of simply booking an armed robbery suspect, he winds up calling in everyone he can find that was connected with the Agent Orange program.
- Naked People Are Funny: Nudism as a comedy plot. Mr. Fulton speaks with the fervor of an evangelist, and has a pamphlet. When Harris has to step away, he tells Fulton "Just make yourself comfortable. Within reason."
- Ripped from the Headlines: Agent Orange was a big story in the years after the war, including a high-profile class action lawsuit filed earlier in 1980.
- Saying Too Much: As Mr. Rankin from Fresher Chemical is leaving Wojo says that whatever problems he has probably have nothing to do with Agent Orange. Rankin agrees and says "Sure, it could have been Agent Purple!" When a startled Wojo asks what Agent Purple is, Rankin says "Just forget I mentioned it." note
- Thrill Seeker: Mr. Serrano, who says that he needs "action" after coming back from the war.
- The Vietnam Vet: Mr. Serrano blames his need for thrills and his inability to hold a steady job on his service in the war. Wojo for his part loses his composure in front of the bigwigs he dragged in, ranting about how he wonders, every time he gets a headache or can't perform in bed, if it's because of something he was exposed to in the war.
